One-way clutch for cinematographs



March 9, l 4g. J MORGAN ET AL 2,313,662

ONE-WAY CLUTCH FOR CINEMATOGRAPHS Original Filed April 15 1940 Patented Mar. 9, 1943 ONE-WAY CLUTCH FOR CINEMATOGRAPHS Thomas J. Morgan, Chicago, and Arthur S. Dearborn, Hinsdale, Ill., assignors to Ampro C'or poration, a corporation of Illinois Original application April 15, 1940, Serial No. 329,784. Divided and this application July 21, 1941, Serial No. 403,369

4 Claims.

This invention relates to cinematographs and this application is a division of co-pending application, Serial No. 329,784, filed April 15, 1940. This application is directed particularly to the construction of a take-up spindle forming part of the improved cinematograph.

The main objects of the invention are to provide a spindle construction whereby the take-up reel may be positively driven in a forward or film take-up direction while at the same time being capable of reverse rotation independently of the movement of its driving means to thereby facilitate film re-winding; to provide efficient means for retarding or braking the reverse rotation of the take-up spindle to thereby insure tight film re-winding; and to provide a compact and small but efficient and durable spindle construction of the character indicated.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be understood by reference to the following specification and accompanying drawing wherein there is disclosed a selected embodiment of the invention.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the take-up spindle drivin means as seen upon removal of a cover plate; and

Figure 2 is a section on the line 22 of Figure 1.

The improved take-up spindle construction as herein shown comprises a spindle I9I which is an extension of a shaft I15 suitably journaled in the bearing boss I71 formed as an integral part of a housing arm I14. The housing arm I14 may be an integral part of the main housing of the cinematograph and it is of such hollow construction as to be capable in cooperation with a removable cover element I59 for enclosing and guiding a suitably driven belt I58.

The spindle shaft I15 is journaled in a. bushing or sleeve I16 which is fixedly positioned in the boss I11 by being driven int place therein and locked against rotation by means of knurling or the like indicated at II.

A bushing sleeve I18 is secured. by means of a pin I19 on the inner end of the spindle shaft I and the sleeve I18 is provided with an enlarged portion I88 which surrounds a portion of said bushing sleeve I18. Said enlarged portion I 88 also encloses a sleeve member I8I which, in turn, surrounds said portion of the bushing sleeve I18. The bushing I16 and its enlarged hollow portion I88 constitute, in eifect, a portion of the frame member I14, said hollow portion I80 being in the nature of a hollow hub or annulus.

A friction member I82 is positioned in a suitable recess in the member I8I for effecting a frictional connection between the member I8I and the surrounding bushing part I88 for a :purpose which will presently appear. Between the bushing IBI and the sleeve I18 there is provided a coil spring I83 which has one end extended lat erally as indicated at I84 into a slot provided in the sleeve I8I and its other end extended laterally as indicated at I85 into a suitable slotor opening I88 in a segmental flange 181 formed on one face of a pulley I88. Said pulley I88 is rotatably mounted on the enlarged portion I88 of the bushing I16 and it is locked against axial displacement thereon by any suitable means such as typified by a spring clip I89, which engages a groove I98 formed in the said member I88.

When the pulley I88 is driven in the forward or film take-up direction as indicated by the arrow in Figure 1, it carries forwardly the leg I85 of the spring I83 and tends to wind said spring tightly on the shaft-carried sleeve I18. Such tendency to wind the spring into gripping condition on the sleeve I18 results, of course,

from the frictional resistance to turning of the sleeve I8I produced by the friction element I82 and its drag against the interior of the enlarged portion I88 of the fixed bushing I 18.

The spindle shaft I15 may be rotated freely in both directions within the pulley and clutch structure if turning movement is effected from the outer, reel receiving end I9! of the shaft.

The outer or free end I9I of the spindle shaft I15 is somewhat enlarged in diameter and is adapted to enter the central opening of the standard film reels which are adapted to be employed in connection with this cinematograph. For locking the reel to the shaft for rotation there-. with, there is provided on the shaft a collar I92 suitably secured to the shaft for rotation therewith, and said collar is provided with a laterally ofiset key or lug I93 which is designed to enter one of the slots I94 provided in the side I95 of a film reel.

For maintaining the reel side I95 in engagement with the face of the collar I92 and in interlocked relation to the lug I93, there is provided in the reel spindle I 9| a transversely extending pin I98 which is yieldingly urged to move in an outward direction by spring means such as indicated at I91. The spring pressed pin I98 has a conically shaped end portion I98 which is adapted to permit the reel side to be forced over the pin without the necessity of locating the reel side so that the point or apex of the spring pressed pin I 96 registers with one of the reel side slots I94 nor is it necessary to first align one of the slots I94 with the lug I93, as has been necessary in prior structures. In other words, by providing the retaining pin I96 with a conical point instead of the conventional round or ball-like end, it is made possible to force the reel over the pin without first accurately positioning the reel on the spindle.

Inasmuch as the central opening I99 in the reel side is usually a free fit on the spindle, there is suflicient play permitted to enable the reel to assume a position past the retaining pin I98 without having one of its slots IB Z registered with the lug I93.

Slight rotation of the spindle shaft relative to the reel will then bring the lug into interlocking relation to one of the slots I94, whereupon the reel will automatically assume its interlocked relation to the lug I93 incident to the tendency of the cone-shaped end of the retaining pin I98 to thrust the reel laterally toward the collar I92.

When the device is operated in reverse for reverse picture projection or film rewinding purposes, it will be seen that the clutch spring I83 will be unwound and caused to loosen its grip on the shaft sleeve I'IS whereby there will be no driving force imparted to the reel on the lower spindle I9I. To avoid excessive unwinding of the spring, the sleeve ISI to which the inner end of the spring is anchored is provided with a laterally extending ear 290 which is adapted to be engaged by the end 20I of said segmental collar I81 of the pulley. It will be seen that when the end 29l of the segmental collar of the pulley engages the ear 200 of the sleeve I8I, both the sleeve and pulley will be rotated as a unit, thereby preventing any further relative rotation which would tend to continue unwinding of the clutch spring.

The described structure simplifies the operation of reverse picture projection or re-winding of film in that it eliminates any requirement for clutch manipulation or belt switching or the like. With the described construction it is merely necessary to reverse the direction of rotation of the main drive of the apparatus, it being understood, of course, that the other reel spindle would in that case be positively driven in a reverse direction through the agency of any suitable one-way clutch arrangement which would permit the reel to rotate freely in the film-feeding direction. Inasmuch as this general relationship is well known in the art it is not herein illustrated or described in detail.

Changes in the described structure may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, scope of which should be determined by reference to the following claims.

We claim:

1. In a cinematograph, a frame part having a bearing opening and a hollow hub, a pulley rotatably mounted on said hub, a spindle shaft rotatably mounted in said bearing opening, a clutch spring encircling said shaft within said hub, and a sleeve surrounding said spring and within said hub, the opposite ends of said spring being respectively connected to said sleeve and to said pulley, friction braking means between said sleeve and hub for resisting rotation of said sleeve, and interengaging means carried by said sleeve and pulley arranged to permit limited relative rotation therebetween.

2. In a cinematograph, a frame part having a bearing opening and a hollow hub, a pulley rotatably mounted on said hub, a spindle shaft rotatably mounted in said bearing opening, a

clutch spring encircling said shaft within said hub, and a sleeve surrounding said spring and within said hub, the opposite ends of said spring being respectively connected to said sleeve and to said pulley, and friction braking means between said sleeve and hub for resisting rotation of said sleeve.

3. In a cinematograph, a frame part having a bearing opening and a hollow hub, a pulley rotatably mounted on said hub, a spindle shaft rotatably mounted in said bearing opening, a clutch spring encircling said shaft within said hub, and a sleeve surrounding said spring and within saidhub, the opposite ends of said spring being respectively connected to said sleeve and to said pulley, friction braking means between said sleeve and hub for resisting rotation of said sleeve, said hollow hub being provided with an annular groove on its outer surface, and means removably carried by said pulley and extending into said annular groove for locking the pulley against axial displacement from said shaft.

4. In a cinematograph, a frame part having a bearing opening and a hollow hub, a pulley rotatably mounted on said hub, a spindle shaft rotatably mounted in said bearing opening, a clutch spring encircling said shaft within said hub, and a sleeve surrounding said spring and within said hub, the opposite ends of said spring being respectively connected to said sleev and to said pulley, and friction braking means between said sleeve and hub for resisting rotation of said sleeve, said braking means comprising a spring metal band extending circumferentially of said sleeve and hub and shaped so as to normally resiliently engage both said sleeve and said hub, one of said engaged members being circumferentially recessed to receive said band.

THOMAS J. MORGAN. ARTHUR S. DEARBORN. 

